Botswana

· Land and water based safari camps in Botswana
· Some of the finest game-viewing in Africa
· Enjoy safaris by vehicle, on foot, by boat or mokoro or on horseback
· Okavango Delta is a wilderness and wildlife paradise
· Witness vast herds of elephant drinking at the Chobe or Linyanti rivers
· The Makgadikgadi saltpans offer a mesmerizing wilderness experience
· Learn ancient bushcraft from the bushmen of the Kalahari

Reasons to visit Botswana

Animal migrations in Botswana

Due to the lack of people and agriculture in the north of Botswana, the wildlife is free to follow its ancient migration routes, unconstrained by fences and farming. These routes are determined mainly by the availability of water and nutritious grasses. Typically animals spend the early summer months on the plains of the Kalahari and the Makgadikgadi saltpans. As the summers continue, the annual zebra migration peaks in January and February when the zebra and wildebeest congregate in vast numbers in the Savute area to graze on the sweeter grasses brought on by the rains. They then continue northwards to the Chobe river and west into the Okavango Delta in search of much-needed water as the rains cease. Botswana offers the second largest migration route in Africa (after the Serengeti migration). From some of the lodges in the Makgadikgadi pans you can see this migration in action with vast herds of zebra and blue wildebeest passing through their area, accompanied by the ever-present predators or lion and leopard. Savute is certainly the place to be if you are coming to Botswana during the late summer period.

• Meno a Kwena Tented Camp

Different ways of taking a safari

Why go to Botswana on safari as opposed to South Africa or Tanzania? For us, one of the immense attractions of Botswana is the variety of ways that you can enjoy a Botswana safari. Most safaris in Africa focus on game-viewing by 4x4 open vehicle but in Botswana this is but one of many options. As popular is game-viewing on the rivers where you get a completely different perspective on the wildlife as you are looking up and not down at the animals. Game-viewing by boat or mokoro (dug-out canoes used in the Okavango Delta) offer a tranquil and mesmerising way to enjoy the beauty of Botswana and her wildlife. Whilst sometimes there is no better way to tune into the bush than on foot. Explore the intricacies of the bush by studying animal behaviour, plants, insects with the occasional thrill of encountering big game on morning game walks with an experienced armed guide.

Mobile Camping Safaris

Mobile safaris are a particularly evocative way of enjoying a safari. In Botswana and Namibia, these take two forms. You can join a scheduled departure of 6 to 12 people. These vary in style from moderate participation to fully catered with a corresponding variation in price. Usually our mobile safaris feature tents with proper beds, linen and their own private bathroom facilities attached to the tent. These may include a bucket shower where hot water is brought to your tent on request. More moderate mobile safaris will have tents with proper beds but perhaps shared bathroom facilities. Given the Okavango Delta’s watery terrain, and Namibia’s distances, a upmarket mobile safaris often includes some flying but essentially you travel from area to area by 4x4 landrover staying a couple of nights in each area. The best mobile safaris will give you a true sense of the country as well as a superb game-viewing experience. As you can imagine, they get booked up early as they are so popular. Alternatively, you can choose a private mobile safari – which offers greater flexibility on routing and departure date – and is ideal for a family party or a group of friends.

• Botswana Explorer mobile safari